WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House of Representatives on Tuesday formally admonished Republican Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting "you lie" during President Barack Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress last week.

The House passed a resolution of disapproval on a 240-179 vote that was mostly along party lines, reflecting the Democratic majority in the chamber.

Five representatives voted "present."

According to the Office of the House Historian, it was the first time in its 220-year history that the House has disciplined a member for speaking out during a presidential speech in the chamber to a joint session of Congress.

During debate on the resolution, Wilson called the measure a waste of time and failed to offer an apology to the chamber as demanded by House Democrats.

soundoff(172 Responses)

If the tables were turned the same thing would have happened.
It just comes down the respecting the President of the United States no matter who is in that position.

September 15, 2009 06:09 pm at 6:09 pm |

in NJ

I cannot believe this is still news....sure, it was a really dumb thing to say and very disrespectful to PRESIDENT Obama! but harry reid called PRESIDENT Bush a loser in 2005 and didn't even do it to his face. He called the WH, apologized and that was it. There were no house or senate resolution. Come on, now people. Wilson made a mistake, he apologized, so please, dial it down a notch.

September 15, 2009 06:10 pm at 6:10 pm |

Wilson

Mr. Wilson sure did set a bad example for our kids! I can not believe the cruelty of the republicans.

September 15, 2009 06:11 pm at 6:11 pm |

tarheel

What good did it do? We already know that the Democrats disapprove of Joe Wilson and his remark. It’s another partisan vote and just further splits Congress along party lines. BTW, I’m sure racism was involved with Wilson’s decision to question Obama about insuring illegal aliens because any objection to an Obama policy is met with the charge of racism. If the Democrats keep screaming racism when there isn’t any, then one will take them seriously when racism really is involved.

September 15, 2009 06:12 pm at 6:12 pm |

D. Tree

CNN should note that this is the "first time" Congress has voted to criticize a member for shouting at the President in the House Floor, because it is also the FIRST TIME any member of Congress has been stupid enough to break question the motives of the President in the House Chamber.

Questioning the motives of a member in this room is against the rules – no one has ever shown this amount of disrespect to a President before.

September 15, 2009 06:17 pm at 6:17 pm |

Jamarcus

Look this the deal if you let him get away with what he said it will give a green flag to any of everybody to say what he or she want I say make an example out of him.

September 15, 2009 06:17 pm at 6:17 pm |

T'SAH from Virginia

Just like the Health Care Reform Bill will pass – by Partisan Vote! President Obama should just MOVE ON with the plan and leave all of those behind still shouling "YOU LIE"!!!

September 15, 2009 06:18 pm at 6:18 pm |

Bear

Good God, can't the Democrats get anyone better than Nancy Pelosi to run this house? Joe Wilson apologized to the only person who needed to be apologized to. That person ACCEPTED his apology. Every black congressperson in Washington turned it into a 50's style white boy lynching. This has been the most hypocritical waste of tax payer dollars I have ever seen in my life. Congress has turned into a bunch of name calling teenage idiots. Someone is going to seriously get hurt with all this polarizing rhetoric coming out of this administration. I have never seen the country this out of control emotionally. Mr. President, DO YOUR JOB and heal this country!!! You have yet to ACT like a president.

September 15, 2009 06:18 pm at 6:18 pm |

Florida Joe

These Repubs are sssoooo concerned about wasting time...need to get to work......WELL let's see how much time THEY waste with delay tactics as we try to get Healthcare reform through.......Then the delay will be OK........Of course.............The party of NO ideas other than to try to defeat Obama....How silly you look

September 15, 2009 06:18 pm at 6:18 pm |

normajean

The Republican party as a group have shown very little care for the American people with their lack of assistance to "THEIR" president on any issue that has come to the fore. They have done nothing but complain and put down everything he has tried to do . Now we have Rep, Wilson, a man of no dignity and absolutely no character yelling at the president as if he were a five year old. If one does not like the person in the White House, he is still the president. A lot of us haven't liked past presidents but we had to deal with it because that's the way it was. So, grow up people we have to live in this world so why try to make things worse than they are.

September 15, 2009 06:19 pm at 6:19 pm |

Annette

Meanwhile, the rest of America was glad Wilson said what he did, because its what the rest of us think too!

I sent a sizeable donation to Wilson's campaign because of it, and I don't even live anywhere near his state!

September 15, 2009 06:19 pm at 6:19 pm |

obama the liar

can't wait until 2010 and watch the line-up of PeLIEsi, Rangel, Dodd,Murtha and on and on and the big one, obama himself

September 15, 2009 06:19 pm at 6:19 pm |

tk in IL

OK, so all this turns out to be a big, huge waste of time and money. I want to know the TRUTH about this statement. And all of you who seem to jump on the Wilson Bashing Wagon real quick right now might want to consider how it's going to look if things turn out to be exactly how Wilson states it after all.

If Wilson was a democrat would this article be printed at all CNN??

Just curious.

September 15, 2009 06:21 pm at 6:21 pm |

Maria_WA

This was Not a waste of time. Little Joey was forced to apologize – and was without remorse. So, now must he must face a bit of punishment.

As much as Democrats disagreed with Republican Presidents – no one ever disrespected the Office by shouting out at a joint House meeting. Republicans need a lesson in respect.

September 15, 2009 06:23 pm at 6:23 pm |

jane

All those who did not see this rebuke as necessary do not have proper respect for the Congress or the Office of the President of the United States.

September 15, 2009 06:23 pm at 6:23 pm |

Greg

It's about time the Dems start doing something about these Neo-confederate, racist idiots taking potshots at Obama. Wilson is no better than the badly mis-guided, Beck/O'reilly//Limbaugh redneck zombies who showed up with disgusting signs and no real clue about what they were protesting other than the fact that the Dems are in charge and our new president is Black.
Its also about time the mainstream media including CNN stop playing the equal time to all fanatics line and report the news as it is, disgusting, dispicable acts of racism and hate orchestrated by the far right to build their racist, bigot, support the wealthy at all cost agenda.
Kudos to Anderson Cooper last night for actually questioning the motives of these hate groups.

September 15, 2009 06:23 pm at 6:23 pm |

JOBLESS IN IOWA

Obama and the rest of the Democrates admonish Wilson, These Democrates DONT GET IT, they are all JOKES. Admonish Frank for not respecting a constituent. If you worked for me I'D FIIRE THE LOT OF YOU. Democrates are jokes and a waste of human flesh with their private government control agendas.

September 15, 2009 06:23 pm at 6:23 pm |

maria faria

Well done Democrats + whoever else. It simply had to be done. Although, the way things are going, the opposition will simply deem "disapproval" as irrelevant and, therefore, the resolution will not accomplish what it was meant to. BUT THAT'S THE OPPOSITION'S FAULT, not the Democrats. "Disapproval" had to be noted. Man oh man, these guys have no sense of decency. We are in a new style of McCarthyism; anyone else notice?

September 15, 2009 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

Jean 2

For those that approve of all of these strange behaviors, statement , talking points etc. forget these wars have been faught. A good example, the demonstrators wearing Red coat outfits need history lesson and PLAIN OLE CIVICS LESSONS.!!! Maybe that would be a good investment of funds and energy. Then the nation could move on to important topics and efforts.

September 15, 2009 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

Di

Now that Wilson has been disciplined. Enough is Enough - GO TO WORK – Remember who you WORK FOR ???????????????? US!

September 15, 2009 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

German,Irish American

How did Charlie Rangel vote? The hypocrisy of the Democrats and Obama is priceless.

September 15, 2009 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

In Houston

"a resolution of disapproval"?...a waste of time and tax payer money. I don't like the racial emphasis put on this either. People should be allowed to disagree, (hopefully in a civil way)...that's democracy at it's best... but to suggest that his outburst deserves punishment because of "racial overtones" is ridiculous.

Wilson was infantile and crass, this is true, but he does have the right to disagree. And he is correct, he should only have to apologize once...an apology demanded is not is no apology at all. I think culturally, we go a little overboard on apologies. Any celebrity or politician who makes a mistake has to do so much so that they cease to lose their sincerity. I'm a democrat...but I think this is a stupid move.
Wilson punished himself...we don't need him to rally support for him by micromanaging social interactions.

September 15, 2009 06:24 pm at 6:24 pm |

Susan

Republicans aren't ashamed of what this Wilson guy said.......they said they were but they aren't or they would have told him to make his apology to the House.......after all they have RULES and they have to obey the RULES or do the Republicans think they don't have to obey the rules? We all have rules we have to live by at work and at school......what example does this give the kids in school? That they don't have to obey the rules set out for them........this just shows american that the GOP still has NO CLUE........

September 15, 2009 06:25 pm at 6:25 pm |

Greg

Kind of funny that Joe Wilson actually voted for a bill in 2007 that gave these same illegal aliens the right to healthcare. Look it up right wingers.

September 15, 2009 06:26 pm at 6:26 pm |

tk in IL

From Christian Values: "Ahhh…leave it to the special retard from SC to be disruptive in a meeting that should embrace civility and mutual respect. Par for the course when it comes to Republicans, idiots to the core!"

Christian Values do you consider name calling a premier example of embracing civility and mutual respect?